Expansible single use dispensing container



Nov. 10, 1964 G. MELLI 3,156,383

EXPANSIBLE SINGLE USE DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Aug. e, 1962 INV ENTOR zw Melli -Q Ma/M ATTORNEYS United States Patent Office 3,156,383 Patented Nov. 10., 1964 6 Claims. (ci. zzz-s3) My invention relates to a container made preferably of a synthetic plastic material which is provided with two mouths, one of which is used to ll it, and sealed after filling, whereas the other is used for dispensing the contents, and comprises a rupturable diaphragm so that the container cannot be refilled therethrough without detection. The container is intended particularly, though not exclusively, to hold materials such as sodium hypochlorite which may change in volume after the container has been filled, and is accordingly provided with pleats or corrugations so that the bottle can expand and contr-act with its contents.

Several representative embodiments of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is ari axial section through a first embodiment of my invention, having filling and dispensing mouths at opposite ends;

FIG. 2 is a vertical preferred embodiment of my invention dispensing mouths at the same end;

FIG. 3 is a vertical axial section through the container of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a vertical elevation through a third embodiment of my invention, with part of its top broken away to show the corrugations therein;

FIG. 5 is a vertical elevation showing a fourth embodiment of my invention with the pleats differently positioned;

FIG. 6 is a vertical elevation of a fifth embodiment of my invention showing yet another arrangement of the pleats; and

FIG. 7 is a partial View corresponding to the top part of FIG. 3, but on a larger scale.

Like reference numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, this shows at 1 the main cylindrical wall of the container, which is provided with pleats or corrugations 2, a filling mouth 3, through which the container is filled and which is heat sealed shut after filling, and a dispensing mouth or neck 4, closed by a rupturable diaphragm 4a. The neck 4 is externally threaded and covered by an internally threaded cap 6 provided with an inwardly projecting prong 7 adapted to rupture the diaphragm 4a when the cap 6 is screwed downward on the neck 4. The container may be seated in a sleeve 5, so that it may be stood on end. The sleeve may be made of cardboard and carry advertising.

FIGURES 3, 4 and 7 show an embodiment in which the filling and dispensing orifices are at the same end, with the filling orifice positioned axially of the container and a dispensing neck which is smaller in diameter extending angularly to one side, to facilitate pouring out of the contents. This permits the bottom of the bottle to be strengthened as shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment the lling neck is transversely sealed by electrical elevation showing a second and having filling and welding as shown at 8, and may be provided with 1ongitudinal ribs 11 which prevent it from being bent during this process. The dispesing outlet of the embodiment shown in these figures comprises a diaphragm 12 which carries a hollow neck 13 closed by a rupturable diaphragm 14 attached to a pin 15 which terminates in a flat handle or key 16.

An internally threaded cap 10 is screwed onto the neck 13. The cap has an approximately cylindrical internal recess so that it may be screwed on without turning the handle 16, and is provided with a narrow external slot 10a which may be fitted over the handle 16 to turn it, after the cap 10 has been removed from the neck 13.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from that of FIG. 3 in that corrugations 17 are provided in the top of the container to replace corrugations 2 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows corrugations 18 which are in addition to corrugations 2, and FIG. 6 shows a container provided with vertical corrugations 19. All of these corrugations are so arranged that, while the container may be expanded and contracted, it will not lose its basic shape, thereby becoming unsightly, and possibly unmarketable.

It will be appreciated that the complete container may be molded integral with the filling neck 3 open, but the delivery neck 13 in place and closed by the diaphragm 14 with the pin 15 and handle 16 molded to it. The cap 1t) may then be screwed on, the container lled, and the filling neck sealed by simply compressing its lip between two heated plates, thus providing a hermetically sealed package in an extremely convenient manner.

What is claimed is:

l. A hermetically sealed container having self-supporting walls, said container comprising a body, a neck projectirig away from said body and terminating in a filling month having opposed lips which are compressed together and hermetically sealed to each other, a threaded dispensing spout closed by a rupturable diaphragm integral with the spout, a cap for said spout, and means carried by said cap for rupturing said diaphragm.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said filling mouth has a larger diameter than said dispensing mouth.

3. A container as claimed in claim 5 in which said lilling mouth neck projects axially from one end of said container while said dispensing mouth is located at the end of a neck which projects angularly outward from the same end of said container, said filling mouth being encircled by a cylinder which constitutes said end portion.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said filling neck is provided with longitudinal reinforcing ribs.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which said container comprises side walls which are at least partially corrugated to permit expansion and contraction of said container, and an end portion the contour of which is unaffected by such expansion and contraction and which defines a plane upon which said container may be stood upright.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 in which said rupturable diaphragm is provided with an integral outwardly projecting pin carrying a handle, and the exterior of said cap is notched to receive said handle so that said cap may be used to turn said handle and rupture said diaphragm after said cap has been removed from said neck.

(References on following page) References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Stewart Sept. 24, 1878 Jopling May 5, 1908 f Pritchard July 16, 1912 0 Smith Dec. 22, 1914 De Quincy et a1. Apr. 19, 1932 Jaen July 30, 1935 

1. A HERMETICALLY SEALED CONTAINER HAVING SELF-SUPPORTING WALLS, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A BODY, A NECK PROJECTING AWAY FROM SAID BODY AND TERMINATING IN A FILLING MOUTH HAVING OPPOSED LIPS WHICH ARE COMPRESSED TOGETHER AND HERMETICALLY SEALED TO EACH OTHER; A THREADED DISPENSING SPOUT CLOSED BY A RUPTURABLE DIAPHRAGM INTEGRAL WITH THE SPOUT, A CAP FOR SAID SPOUT, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CAP FOR RUPTURING SAID DIAPHRAGM. 